Hardware and software
published: Mon, 18-Feb-2008 | updated: Sat, 6-Aug-2016
Here are the articles I've written regarding the hardware (and software) I use every day.
Backup Strategy
Ever since I built my Ultimate Developer Rig (UDR), I've been rethinking my backups: what to do, when to do them, which risks are acceptable and which are not, and so on. In an effort to help others, I thought I'd explain what I've decided on and why. Read more...
UDR Software Install
One thing I didn't touch on in my previous post was what I installed on my new Ultimate Developer Rig. Read more...
Ultimate Developer Rig
I sometimes joke with friends, when something goes wrong with some arbitrary bit of equipment, that I do software, not hardware. This past weekend I've been putting that axiom to the test, nay, perversely stressing it, by building my own desktop PC. Read more...
Jungle Disk
Back in October/November, I got to the point where I wanted -- nay, needed -- to use a desktop rather than a laptop for the majority of my work. My Dell XPS M1210 is great for travel because it's so light, but it's just not as powerful as I'd like. I certainly don't want to up- size to a larger "desktop replacement" laptop, I like the way my shoulders are, thank you very much. Read more...
Setting Up My Sony Clié
In which your intrepid traveller through life comes to recognize that saving money on cheapo electronic gear will bite you in the butt eventually. On the way he decides to list the software he finds essential on a Sony Clié NX70V, ready "for the next time". Read more...
It's Not Dell Hell
My little corner wasn't in Dell Hell at all. It was in my own private one caused by an over-zealous spam-blocker. Read more...
My little corner of Dell Hell
If you read back though a few posts, you'll notice that I bought a Dell XPS M1210 notebook. Nice and light, speedy, even though I had problems with Vista on it. Read more...
Ladies and Gentlemen, Windows Vista has left the building
Enough is enough. I'm beyond frustrated. I came to my new laptop this morning — much earlier than usual since I was taking an early phone call from the East coast — only to find it completely and utterly frozen in the screen saver. I tried moving the mouse, pressing any key, giving the three finger salute, anything. I gave it my all and in return I received nothing. I had to forcibly power it off. Read more...
Vista vs. Julian. Round 4.
The irritating thing about last night's post was that immediately after writing it and publishing it to the website, the ghost in my machine awoke form its slumber and red-lined both CPUs at 100%. It was playing with me, taunting me. It was trying to show who was boss. Suddenly it came to me: when you have a ghost, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Read more...
Vista vs. Julian. Round 3.
After yesterday's self-congratulatory blog post, Vista was lying in wait for me this morning. Read more...
Vista vs. Julian. Round 2.
After the last round when I retired bowed and bloody but vowing to continue, I decided that I needed proper (not beta) video divers for the Toshiba M200 tablet. So I waited and waited and waited. Toshiba themselves had decided that the M200 wasn't on their list of supported machines for Vista, but I hoped to get a driver directly from NVIDIA. Read more...
Vista vs. Julian. Round 1.
It did not start well. I downloaded the Windows Vista Ultimate RTM iso image overnight about two weeks ago, shortly after it was made available to MSDN subscribers. I have a DVD writer on a different machine, a hefty Dell desktop alongside my svelte Toshiba M200 tablet, and as I was transferring the iso image from the svelte to the hefty I suddenly heard this series of ki-chunk, ka-chunk, ki-chunk sounds, as some USB device on the Toshiba mounted and unmounted in quick succession. Read more...
Nokia 6682 multimedia phone
A couple of weeks ago I was at TechEd in Boston, as part of the Developer Express team there. We had a great conference, showing off our products to great acclaim, etc, but speaking personally it sucked: I lost my Nokia cell phone on the Monday (it was in my pocket when we left the hotel in the taxi, but must have slipped out during the ride). After trying to call it pretty much continually for a good couple of hours, hoping someone would hear it ringing, I gave up and suspended the service (I'd activated international dialling on it for starters: didn't want that to get in the hands of some nefarious phone fence). Last Saturday, I went to buy myself a replacement, a Nokia 6682. Wow, what a lovely phone. Read more...
